Racket string tightening machine



June 9, 1936. J SALADIN 2,043,813

RACKET STRING TIGHTENING MACHINE Filed Sept. 4, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l H grive 27201 fw W b J dttowwezy June 9,1936; J, SALAD-[No 2,043,813

RACKET STRING TIGHTENI NG MACHINE Fil'ed Sept. 4; 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 65 ,5, ,4, 4a ///Zr m) amvmm y Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to a racket string tightening machine, and to improvements to the machine covered by my patent application Serial No.

737,562, filing date July 30, 1934. 7

One object of my invention is to provide means whereby my machine may be set to permit pulling a racket string to a certain degree of tightness and no further. This will save the operator the necessity of watching the gauge'each time a stringis pulled, as my invention will not permit .tightening of the string beyond acertain point, and by operating the mechanism to that point each time every string will be tightened equally. v Another object is to improve upon the means for holding the racket so that the fastening of the racket in place and then releasing it may be done more readily. Another objectis to make said holding means'readily adjustable to various sizes of rackets without the necessity of using additional parts for the smaller rackets. Another object is to make said holding means simplein construction, and so shaped that the parts willnotmar the finish of the'racket while it is being. held.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and operative arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawings. The natureof the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawings;v but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall ;within: the scope of my claims.

. Inthe drawings:

Figurel is a side elevation view of my racket stringing machine.

Figure2 isa perspective view of the front and side clamps used tohold the racketduring the stringing operation.

Figure 3 isa plan view of my machine.

Figure 4 15 an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, showing the rear clamp for holding the racket, the broken linesindicating the racket. s

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the.line-5 5-of Figure 1, showing the rear clamp and: its dovetailed sliding portion.

Figure-6 isan enlarged sectional view taken on theline 6-6 of Figure-l showmg afront and side clamp. I I

Figure '7 isasectional view taken on the line 1'I of Figure 3 showing the parts of the string tightening device in detail.

As illustrated, my machine has a supporting stand or base l5 having a bossed portion I6 into which a vertical standard I! fits. Attached to said standard by screws I9 is a guide bracket I8, and extending between said bracket [8 and said standard I! is a treadle 2| pivoted as at 22 to a yoke 23 which screws into said base 15 as at 24. Pressure on said treadle 2| by the foot of the operator actuates the string tightening device later described. An eye member 30 fits in said treadle 2| to receive a cable or belt 31 which passes over a pulley later described, and is fastened at the other end to a spring 32 which in turn is fastened to said bracket I8.

Said standard IT telescopically'engages a vertical. sleeve 34, and is held in any desired position by a hand screw 33, so that the height of my machine may be adjusted vertically to the convenience of the operator. Mounted on said sleeve .34 is a tool support or table 35 having a projectinglug 36 in which is a hole 31, referred to later. A bracket 38' is fastened to said sleeve 34 by a set screw 39, and said'bracket 38 has an arm or upstanding part 40 which supports the string tightening device later described.

A holder 42 supports and holds the racket 50 to be strung, and is rotatable so that the posi-' tion-of said-racket may be changed as the stringing proceeds. Said holder 42' has a supporting frame 43 which is rotatably mounted on said bracket;38. A cap-or plate 45rests on said frame 43- and is held to said bracket 38'by a screw 46. Said holder 42 has a top 48 having downwardly projecting lugs 49 onopposite sides integral with said frame 43, on which top 48 the tennis or other playing racket 50 is supported while being strung. The ordinary racket consists of a curved portion known as the bow head, which receives the stringing, and a straight'handle whichextends from said bow head. In stringing a: racket the operator, stands in. front of the string tightening device.

Said holder has a rear clamp 52 which is adjustable horizontally and vertically, which holds the bow head'of the racket 50 from any horizontall or upward movement. Said clamp 52 consists of a sliding portion53" having a dovetail portion 54 which slidably tits in a dovetail slot 55 made in the top 48'of' saidholder 42, and extending from the top surface downwardly, thereby permitting sufficient horizontal movement of said slidingportionj54-to engage the bow head of rackets of various sizes. A screw 56 extends horizontally through said sliding portion ,j A cleat 101 on said barrel abovelit, being held byscrews102. The string to fiangeSTisanintegral part of said screw 56 and spaced therefrom is awing grip 58 onsaid screw,

fthe'saidsliding portion 53, being held between them, sothat forward or reverse movement of said sliding portion 53 maybe obtained by.turn-' ing said wing grip 58. A pin 59 holds said wing Qnut 58 to said screw 55. An arm 60 projects 7 1 upwardly from said dovetail portion 54 terminat-' ,ing in a finger portion 6| Said arm' comes into 7 contactwith the racket when moved into hold-' iing position, the curvature 152 of the outer sur- 11 30 601575 314 1 arm corresponding with the cur 'vature'of the racket.

,. :15 V V V V racket 50.

asto avoid having it block string'holes in said Said 'rearclamp' 52 has a top retaining plate 63fwhich rests on the topjof said racket .50 when imoved to holding position, thereby preventing any upward movement of'theiracket; A screw Qtpass'es through said retaining plate 63, having-a'win'g nut-65 at oneend, the screwing down of 'whichmakesjit bear against said p1ate'63; 'A; 1 head 66 at'the other end of said screw 64 serves as '25 11' t in an inverted T-slot 51 made in said sliding porn :tionf53 of, said clamp 52. This retaining plate 63 a, guide member as said-screw is slid horizontally "is not'absolutely "necessary, as ordinarily the retaining plate '03. a a V a 7 a Saidholder42 also hasa pair of said clamps I3 7 cla mpsare sufficient to hold the racket, but can be. availed" of should the racket move upwardly duringstringing. Exceptfor this retaining plate,

thezrear clamp is the'same as the front andside f clamps later described.

A front clamp [0 slides in a dovetail slot ll made in said holder top 48,2and is the'same as the rear 7 clamp 52, exc ept there 'iS no provision for said which arethe same as said front clamp 10,1s'lidhing in dovetailslots 'ld made in said holder top 48' the same as are'the said slots 55 and "II' for the rear and front clamps respectively} 7 f The strings in the racket arepulled tight by a V rotatable tensioning' or; tightening "device 184 which has 'a'pulley '85 'fastened thereto by 7 screws 86 which extend froma ratchet-81 iinto saidpulley. Said pulley has a hole"82 ,trans'- verse to the axis thereof extending there- Qthroughthrough which said cable 3| extends and in which it is heldQSaid device 84 has a ratchet 81, a-portion of whichhas teeth 88. A

screw, 89 extends through a portion of said f {ratchet '81 into a horizontal shaft 90 which'has'a cap Blf at one end. A helicalspring 92 has one "end as at 93 projecting into said'eap 9! as illustrated in Figure 7 of the drawings, the other end passing into a'hole'in thewall of a barrel 96,

which together with said cap 0| encloses said spring 92; A bushings! which surrounds a portionjof said shaft 90, is made integral iWith said a barrel '96 "and rotatably fits into a housing 98 which is an integral extension of saidybracket arm'40g An' indicator pointer 99 is fastened to said bracket arm, to show how tight the string 6 ing has been pulled, said pointerbeing oppositea scalegi00fmarked on the outside of said barrel "96,so that rotation of said barrel brings differ-' ent numbers on, said scale opposite saidpointer 'to" thereby show to'what degree, the strings in V the racket havebeen tightened; r j a 96 projects slightly 5 be tightenedris wound around said cleat. |0I to firmly hold it, so that rotation of said tightening device 84 pulls the string tightyand whenthe holethrough which the string passes.

7 said finger portion 6].;15" made narrower than the 'rest of said arm 60 so acts uponsaid spring 92to rotate said-barrel 9 6107 with thesc ale I00'marked thereon. I "3 r To make certain that every stringin the racket will be tightened to the same degree, and to save the operator the trouble'of continually watching the indicator pointer and scale, I provide means 15 ,toautomaticallylimitthe downward'movement of said lever or treadle 2I', which consist of an 'ad- V justing rod l05:havinga knurled knob 106 by which it is turned. Saidadjust'ing rod I05loose- I ly passes through said hole 31 in said tool tablezo lug 35, and is connectedto an adjusting screw;I0,'|,,

by means of a universal joint member I00'Iof well known construction. 'Said "adjusting ffscrew' threads, as at I09, into said treadle or, lever 21 and may project beycndit. "When itnis desiredto 25 limit the downwardrnovement of said treadle 1 a or lever said adjusting screw ViSlSCIGWGd dOW H I wardly, withthe'result that it will strike said base 15 and stop the said downward movement;

OnceQthe' operator determines how tight the 36 strings in a racket are to be pul1ed, said adjustr 7 ing screw is turned to permit depression of said "treadle to that point, and each string istightened treadle as far as rit will go. v

} Whatl claim is: l a 1. A holder for a racket string tightening hie-x chine comprising a 'framejembodying a top,-- said to the same degree. by merely depressing'said top having slotted passages therein, clamp r members to hold a'racketslidably mounted-in said 40 i passages, said clamp members embodying a do'wm wardly projecting portion extending outsideoi 7 said top having a-hole therein, and screw means passing through said hole and lscrewin'g into said frame below said top;

'2. A- holder for aracket string'tighteni'ng ina- V chine comprisingaframe embodying a-top, said I top having slotted passages therein, clamp meme bers to holdaa racket fslidably mounted'in-"said passages, said clamp membersembodying'adown Vwardly projecting portion extending outside of r said top having a holetherein,and screwameans extending from outside'said downwardly projecting portion and' passsing through said hole'andl a V screwing into said frame below said topjsaidr55 screw Qm'eansembodying' a flange-1 adja'centthe "inside surface of said downwardly projecting 1 portion wherebyreverse-movement of said screw 7 means will move said clamp members outwardly I, r

3. A holder for a racket string" tightening =machine comprising' atop outer rim, said top rirn 5 having passagestherein, clamp means to' 'hold V a racket slidably extending *into -sa'idpassages, 1';

and means to propel said clamp meansto a some ed'position.

extending beyond said passage'sand an upwardly extending member beyond the, inner side'of said top rim, 'and mea ns'fto propelsaid clamp means to a selected position;

5. A holder for a racket string tightenlngnia- V V i A holder for a racket string tightening ma- 7 chine 'comprising a top outerrirn, saiditop; 7 having passagesextending all the way 'acrossit, 1

clamp'means to hold aracket slidab ly extending v3 into said passages and embodying'a bojdy portion"7 q chine comprising a frame embodying a top outer rim, said stop rim having passages therein, clamp means to hold a racket slidably extending into said passages, and means entering said frame below said top rim to propel said clamp means to a selected position.

6. A holder for a racket string tightening machine comprising a top outer rim, said top rim having passages in its upper portion, clamp means to hold a racket slidably extending into said passages and extending beyond the inner side of said top rim, and means to propel said clamp means to a selected position.

7. A holder for a racket string tightening machine comprising a frame embodying a top outer rim, said top rim having passages therein, clamp members to hold a racket slidably mounted in said passages, and screw means in said clamp members and screwing into said frame below said passages whereby said clamp members may be slidably moved in said passages crosswise of said top rim.

8. A holder for a racket string tightening machine, comprising a frame embodying a top outer rim on which a racket is adapted to rest, said top rim having passages in the upper portion thereof, clamp means to hold a racket slidably extending into said passages and embodying an upwardly extending member extending horizontally beyond the inner side of said top rim and said racket, and means to propel said clamp means to a selected position.

9. A holder for a racket string tightening machine comprising a frame embodying a top outer rim to support the racket, said top rim having passages in its top and upper portion extending across it, clamp means to hold a racket slidably extending into said passages embodying a body portion which is level with said top rim and an arm beyond said passages extending upwardly from said body portion at one end thereof, and means to propel said clamp means to a selected position.

10. A holder for a racket string tightening machine comprising a top rim having passages therein extending across said rim, the depth'of said passages being less than the depth of said 20 rim whereby said rim provides a bottom for said passages, clamp means to hold a racket slidably extending into said passages and resting on said bottom, and means to hold said clamp means in position.

JOSEPH SALADINO. 

